Ghosts of the Present
by freifraufischer
Summary: pre-BroTP Snow Queen. Snow and David try and get magical assistance from disgraced fairy turned local dry cleaner and a magical accident reverts Snow to her less than lovable teenage self. The only person she recognizes is Regina-a woman who hates her guts. A bit cracky. Late season 2.


_A/N: Written for a tumblr prompt: Could you write something about young/teen Snow? (You know she turned into her young self by accident) And she recognizes only Regina._

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><p>Snow and David had been trying to find a new, more trustworthy magical adviser. Regina's redemption had stalled and as far as they could see failed, and they both knew in their hearts that dealing with Rumplestiltskin always came with a price.<p>

The problem was that while there were other magical users in the town, many of them weren't quite as powerful, or as knowledgeable, as either the Dark One or the Evil Queen. But many were eager to prove they were. That's how the accident happened. One disgraced fairy, a little too much fairy dust and a wand that looked like it was kept together with masking tape.

The explosion nearly leveled the dry cleaner the ex-fairy worked at, and both David and Emma were knocked out, waking up under a pile of singed clothes. They were starting to laugh, like one does when you realize you've recovered from a near death experience, until they noticed that Mary Margaret was nowhere to be seen.

Regina was leaving city hall when she felt the magic. A bit like hearing an explosion while standing in a crowd of deaf people. She paused and tasted the air, almost chewing on it and shook her head. "Stale fairy dust."

She started walking towards the origin of the magic, not because she really cared, but because it was still her town and she was going to be damned if she let an incompetent moth ruin her hard work.

Just then Snow, looking afraid, her face with a bit of soot on her hair askew came running up to her, "Regina... oh thank God. Where are we? I was just heading down to my riding lesson and I woke up in this strange place."

The last time Regina had seen Snow she'd been ordering her off her porch. This sudden affection was more than a little weird. Snow was clinging to her like she hadn't since...

"Mary Margaret, do you know where you are?"

Snow looked even more confused, and Regina figured out almost immediately what must have happened.

"You went to Ditzy for help with something magical."

"Regina... why are you looking at me like that..."

Snow was practically clinging to her, like she had when she was a child and afraid. She wanted to shove her a way and just leave the Charmings to the mess they created. It would serve them right... really... Ditzy.

"Come on Snow, you've been hurt and I think it's best if you come with me."

She used her best good girl Queen Regina voice, and disentangled herself from the amnesiatic princess. Which was not easy, especially as Emma and David came running up and Emma pulled her gun. "Regina, get away from her!

David was pulling his sword... why in the world was he carrying his sword around? Did he really expect to fight dragons in Maine, or was it a giant codpiece to prove what a great prince he was... Regina wondered idly.

"It's alright, my little Princess. The mean people are going to put down their sharp pointy things and let me figure out how to fix the mess they made."

Of course Emma and the idiot didn't take the hint. Snow was trying to make herself small behind Regina and several of the town's residents were coming to the aid of the Charmings.

"What's going on sister?" One of the dwarfs asked, Sleezy maybe, she never bothered to learn their names.

"You went to the failed fairy didn't you?" Regina asked Emma and David.

Emma shifted looking guilty but Charming was getting more and more angry, only seeing the danger to his wife. In addition to his sword he now drew his gun, holding both in a combat stance.

One of the guns went off, she wasn't sure if it was Emma's or if it was David's but Regina waved her hand and the bullet stopped in mid air inches from her face and fell harmlessly to the ground.

"Can you two at least get some gun safety training if you are going to point those things in public. I know there are videos on YouTube."

"Regina, why are all these people being mean to us."

"It's alright Snow. You and your husband did something stupid and you are paying for it right now." Again she used the soft voice she'd used at Leopold's court and despite the insult Snow clung to her more. She put an arm around her and shook her head disgustedly before turning away from the confused mob. "Come on, Snow, we're going to my office to fix this."

If for no other reason that you'll stop looking at me like that.

Charming and Emma followed like puppies of course. Regina took Snow into city hall and up to the mayor's office, sitting her down on the sofa while she dug around in her potion box for what she needed. "Regina, what did you do to her?" David was barely holding his temper.

"Stop talking to my stepmother like that!" Snow ordered. "She's a queen you dirty peasant."

Emma raised an eyebrow. "Dirty peasant?"

"Your mother has apparently reverted to her most lovely and very Charming princess phase." Regina commented and pulled three bottles out and started mixing a potion. "I didn't do anything to her."

"She thinks she's a teenager?" Emma asked.

"Perceptive as always, Miss. Swan."

"And you're her..."

"She's my mother!"

Snow was getting indignant at the way these two people were acting and got up from where she was sitting to stand between them. "When my father's guards find out you'll be escorted out of the kingdom ..."

"She was really like this when she was growing up?" Emma said surprised

Regina couldn't help but smile. "Starting to understand me a bit better, Miss. Swan?"

"Regina..." David warned with a low growl.

Snow looked like she was about to launch herself at David, and this time not in a sickeningly sweet embrace. Regina debated letting her attack him, wondering if she'd use her adorably ineffectual princess fists or if Snow would have retained all the muscle memory from her fighting as a bandit.

But in the end she decided she wanted princess Snow out of her life more than she wanted to watch her attack her Prince Charming.

She approached Snow with a small vile of potion. "Here Snow, drink this and should be all better."

"No! Snow!" David launched himself at the two of them, but Emma seemed to have grasped what was going on at least and held him back.

Snow took the small bottle from Regina, and gave her a radiant smile. Deep down in Regina's dark and hard heart she was sad that she knew Snow would never look at her like that again.

She drank the potion and coughed twice before looking up at Regina and dropping the little glass bottle. It shattered on the floor of the mayor's office and she backed away slowly before running into David's arms. He took her out of the office without looking back, but Emma lingered.

"Thank you, Regina."

Regina was quiet for a moment before catching her own breath. "Please... just use competent magic users in the future. Even the Blue Fairy would be better than Ditzy. There is a reason I made her a dry cleaner."

After Emma left, Regina sat down alone in the office. As much as she hated Snow. As much as she remembered her murdered mother in her arms... for a moment she remembered something else. A time when she might have been happy if she'd allowed herself to be.

And a tear escaped her eyes without realizing it.


End file.
